Striping box actuating mechanism for circular knitting machines

ABSTRACT

A circular knitting machine for producing striped fabrics is provided with radially movable cam parts to rotate with the cylinder of the machine and engage striping box actuators. The overall length of the cam parts when taken together is greater than the distance between adjacent striping box actuators and such cam parts are radially movable sequentially into an operative position between a pair of adjacent actuators.

United States Patent [191 Mishcon et al.

STRIPING BOX ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES [75] Inventors: Lester Mishcon; Harry Agulnek,

both of Miami Beach, Fla.

[73] Assignee: The Singer Company, New York,

NY. I

[22] Filed: Dec. 29, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 319,830

[52] US. Cl. 66/138 [51] Int. Cl D04b 15/58 [58] Field of Search.... 66/138, 139, 140, 50 B [5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 455,018 6/1891 Huse 66/139 X 1451 Mar. 26, 1974 2,543,121 2/1951 Mishcon et al. 66/138 2,549,701

4/1951 Mishcon et al. 66/140 R Primary Examiner-Wm. Carter Reynolds Attorney, Agent, or FirmMarshall J. Breen; Chester A. Williams, .112; William J. Ebs

57 ABSTRACT A circular, knitting machine for producing striped fabrics is provided with radially movable cam parts to rotate with the cylinder of the machine and engage striping boxactuators. The overall length of the cam parts when taken together is greater than the distance between adjacent striping'box actuators and such cam parts are radially movable sequentially into an operative position between a pair of adjacent actuators.

4 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures STRIPING BOX ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to circular knitting machines and more particularly to striping box actuating mechanisms for such machines.

2. Description of the Prior Art It is known as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,543,121 of S. Mishcon et al., issued Feb. 27, I951 to provide striping boxes around the cylinder of a circular knitting machine for use in producing striped fabrics, and actuators at each striping box, a cam to rotate with the cylinder and successively engage the actuators when in an operative position to thereby initiate operation of the striping boxes, and mechanism for radially moving the cam between a pair of adjacent actuators into and out of its operative position.

In order to provide for proper operation of the striping boxes it has been necessary that the cam engageable with the actuators be of a length sufficient to overlap adjacent actuators and in order to provide room permitting such cam to be moved radially between actuators into and out of an operating position, a space greater than the normal spacing between actuators and striping boxes has heretofore been provided at one location on the machine. Such space was provided for by utilizing one less actuator, striping box and feed than would otherwise have been considered desirable in the interest of obtaining maximum production from a machine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to increase the production of a circular knitting machine having striping boxes for use in producing striped fabrics, such machine is provided with cam parts which are rotatable with the cylinder of the machine, are of a length less than the spacing between adjacent actuators, and are radially movable sequentially into an operative position between adjacent actuators.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a plan view of a circular knitting machine according to the invention with fragments broken away for clarity, and showing a plurality of striping boxes and control mechanism therefor;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of a circular knitting machine according to the invention showing cam parts for controlling the operation of striping boxes in a position wherein the leading cam part is about to be moved out of its operative position;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the cam parts in a subsequent position wherein the leading cam part is in a retracted position;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the cam parts beyond the position of FIG. 3 with said leading cam part moved back to its operative position;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing the cam parts advanced beyond the position of FIG. 4 with the leading cam part in its operative position and the following cam part in a retracted position;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing cam parts according to the invention for controlling striping box actuators;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary elevational sectional view taken circumferentially showing an actuator and said cam parts;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged elevational view partially in section showing said actuator and taken along a radial line on the knitting machine.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A plurality of striping boxes 18 are circumferentially disposed at equally spaced intervals around a fixed ring 19. Each striping box has four fingers or yarn carriers 22, 24, 26 and 28 which are movable between a yarnfeeding and non-feeding position.

The striping boxes are of conventional design, being of the type shown, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 2,543,121 of S. Mishcon et al., for "Knitting Machine issued Feb. 27, 195 l and in U.S. Pat. No. 2,549,70l of S. Mishcon et al., for Apparatus for Knitting Striped Fabric issued Apr. 17, 1951. An actuator 30 is provided for each striping box 18 and the fingers of each box are selectively responsive to the operation of its actuator. As shown, each actuator 30 includes a pawl 32 which is pivoted at 34 to a member 36 and biased by a spring 38 into engagement with a ratchet wheel 40 on the box. A pin 42 secures member 36 to a plunger 44 which extends through the housing 46 of the actuator and cam retainer ring 12. The housing 46 is secured to the cam retainer ring 12 by screws 48 and plunger 44 is biased downwardly by spring 50.

The cylinder carrying ring 14 includes a circumferentially extending peripheral recess 52 and spaced radially extending slots 54 and 56 communicating with the recess52. A split cam 58 includes camming surfaces 60 and 62 on cam parts 64 and 66 respectively which are slidable radially into and out of recess 52. Cam part 64 is integral with and movable by cam block 68 which is slidable in slot 54 between a radially outward and radially inward position whereas cam part 66 is integral with and movable by cam block 70 which is slidable in slot 56' between a radially outward and radially inward position. The cam parts 64 and 66 are movable by the respective cam blocks outwardly into an operative position wherein camming surfaces 60 and 62 engage the plungers 44 of the striping box actuators as the cylinder carrying ring 14 is rotated in the direction indicated, and the cam parts are movable inwardly by said cam blocks into a retracted position wherein the camming surfaces 60 and 62 miss the plungers 44. The cam parts 64 and 66 are contiguous and together are of a length somewhat greater than the distance between'the plungers 44 of adjacent actuators 30. As shown, cam block 68 includes camming surfaces 72 and 74, and cam block 70 includes camming surfaces 76 and 78.

A pin extends through cam retainer ring' 12 wherein it is disposed to engage camming surfaces 74 and 78 on cam blocks 68 and 70 respectively during rotation of the cylinder carrying ring 14 when cam parts 64 and 66 are in their outwardoperative positions. A

pin 82 extending through a hole 84 in cam retainer ring 12 is movable vertically between a vertically downward operative position (the position shown in FIG. 7) and a withdrawn position by attached mechanism. In the downward position, the pin 82 is eagageable as the cylinder rotates with camming surfaces 72 and 76 on cam blocks 68 and 70 respectively when cam parts 64 and 66 are in their retracted position. In its retracted position, the pin 82 is just above the cam blocks 68 and 70. As shown the pin 82 is affixed to a bracket 86 which also carries a guide pin 88 that registers in opening 90 in ring 12. The bracket 86 is pivotally mounted at 92 to one end of arm 94. The other end of arm 94 includes a hollow boss 96 which is affixed to a shaft 98. Mounted over the shaft 98 is a helical spring 100 that normally maintains arm 94 in a raised position wherein the pin 82 is disposed in its retracted position. The shaft 98 and therefor arm 94 are subject to actuation just prior to the time cam block 68, while being rotated by cylinder carrying ring 14 reaches the position of pin 82. When arm 94 is actuated pin 82 is moved into its operative position. Movements of the arm 94 are controlled by mechanism 102 which is of the type shown and described in the aforementioned US. Pat. No. 2,543,121, such mechanism being responsive to rotation of the cylinder and a timing chain 104 having links that predetermine whether or not actuation of the arm shall occur as cam blocks 68 and 70 approach pin 82.

Before cam block 68 reaches pin 82 it comes abreast of pin 80 and at such time cam blocks 68 and 70 are both either in their radially outward or radially inward positions. Assuming cam blocks 68 and 70 are in their radially outward positions, pin 80 comes into contact with cam surface 74 just after camming surface 60 on cam part 64 moves out of contact with plunger 44 of the actuator 30 closest to pin 82 in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation of ring 14. Pin 80 acting on cam surface 74 causes cam block 68 and cam part 64 to be moved radially inward to retracted positions (see FIGS. 2 and 3) before the cam block 68 comes abreast of pin 82. As the cam block 68 is moved past pin 82 by rotation of the cylinder carrying ring 14, the pin, if it is in its operative position, acts on camming surface 72 causing the cam block and cam part 64 to be moved outwardly. Similarly as cam block 70 and cam part 66 rotate with cylinder carrying ring 14 they are first moved inwardly by pin 80 acting on cam surfaces 78 just after camming surface 62 on cam part 66 moves out of contact with the plunger of the actuator closest to pin 82 in the direction of motion of ring 14, and they are then moved outwardly by pin 82 acting on camming surface 76 (see FIGS. 4 and in other words cam parts 64 and 66 which are in radially outward positions as their associated cam blocks approach pin 80 are moved sequentially inwardly and then (when pin 82 is in its operative position) sequentially outwardly, each being moved both inwardly and outwardly while between the two actuators closest to the pins 80 and 82. When pin 82 is in its withdrawn position, the cam blocks 68 and 70, and cam parts 64 and 66 move past the pin 82 in their radially inward positions.

Pin 80 acts only on cam blocks which approach the pins in their radially outward positions. The pin 80 passes between the camming surfaces on blocks which are in radially inward positions as they approach the pin 80.

Cam parts 64 and 66 which are moved into their radially outward positions by the action of pin 82 on the camming surfaces of their associated camming blocks are rendered effective to operate the actuators situated around the machine and they operate the actuators while pin 82 is in its operative position. When pin 82 is moved from its operative to its withdrawn position cam parts 64 and 66 remain in radially inward positions after being moved there by the action of pin and they cease to operate the actuators after moving beyond the actuator closest to pin 80 in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation of cylinder 14.

While the invention has been described in its preferred form, it is to be understood that the words which have been used are words of description rather than of limitation, and that changes within the purview of the appended claims may be made without departing from the true scope and spirit of the invention.

Having thus set forth the nature of this invention, what is claimed herein is:

1. In a circular knitting machine for the production of striped fabrics, a rotating needle carrying cylinder, a cylinder ring coaxial of and rotatable'with the cylinder, a plurality of stationary striping boxes circumferentially disposed around the machine, each striping box having a plurality of yarn carrying fingers movable between predetermined operative and inoperative positions and a rotatable drum for selectively operating said fingers, movable actuating means for each drum, cam parts slidably mounted on said cylinder ring, each such cam part being of a length which is less than the length of an arc of the said circumferential disposition between a pair of adjacent actuating means and together being of a length which is greater than the said arc length between said pair of adjacent actuating means, and means for sequentially moving said cam parts from an inoperative position into an operative position between the said pair of adjacent actuating means, said cam parts when in their operative positions being closely disposed to successively engage and control the various actuating means as the cylinder ring rotates whereby the said striping boxes may be successively actuated.

2. The combination of claim 1 including means for sequentially moving said cam parts from said operative into said inoperative position between the said pair of adjacent actuating means.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein the means for sequentially moving said cam parts includes separate camming means for each cam part slidably mounted in the cylinder ring and pin means disposable to engage the camming means during rotation of the cylinder.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein the pin means includes one pin for sequentially moving the cam parts from said inoperative to said operative position and another pin for sequentially moving the cam parts from the said operative to the said inoperative position, said one pin being movable into and out of a position of engagement with the said camming means in response to rotation of the cylinder. 

1. In a circular knitting machine for the production of striped fabrics, a rotating neeDle carrying cylinder, a cylinder ring coaxial of and rotatable with the cylinder, a plurality of stationary striping boxes circumferentially disposed around the machine, each striping box having a plurality of yarn carrying fingers movable between predetermined operative and inoperative positions and a rotatable drum for selectively operating said fingers, movable actuating means for each drum, cam parts slidably mounted on said cylinder ring, each such cam part being of a length which is less than the length of an arc of the said circumferential disposition between a pair of adjacent actuating means and together being of a length which is greater than the said arc length between said pair of adjacent actuating means, and means for sequentially moving said cam parts from an inoperative position into an operative position between the said pair of adjacent actuating means, said cam parts when in their operative positions being closely disposed to successively engage and control the various actuating means as the cylinder ring rotates whereby the said striping boxes may be successively actuated.
 2. The combination of claim 1 including means for sequentially moving said cam parts from said operative into said inoperative position between the said pair of adjacent actuating means.
 3. The combination of claim 2 wherein the means for sequentially moving said cam parts includes separate camming means for each cam part slidably mounted in the cylinder ring and pin means disposable to engage the camming means during rotation of the cylinder.
 4. The combination of claim 3 wherein the pin means includes one pin for sequentially moving the cam parts from said inoperative to said operative position and another pin for sequentially moving the cam parts from the said operative to the said inoperative position, said one pin being movable into and out of a position of engagement with the said camming means in response to rotation of the cylinder. 